Ice Breaker: If you could be in the TV series or movie of your choice, what would you choose and what character would you play?

Share about a time when you experienced a gap between what you expected and what you experienced?

Have you ever felt like God was the one that created the gap? If so, share what happened, how did God let you down?

Read John 11:1-5. What relational details are we given and how does this set up our expectation level?

Who are the people you expect the most from? What two categories do most of those people fall into? Did Jesus fit both of those categories for Mary, Martha and Lazarus?

Read John 11:6-17. If you are Mary and Martha, what do you do when the God who has the last word doesn’t speak the word you want to hear?

Following Jesus can be a disappointing experience at times. What are some other examples from the Bible where Jesus created an expectation gap?

Reread John 11:4. When we feel disappointment with Jesus, what two things should we always look for? How have / how would those things help you?

Read John 11:18-24. The miracle happens in your life when you stop looking for a way to get out of a situation, and start looking to Jesus for a way to get you through this situation. What does that mean? Share an example.

Read John 11:25-27. Where was Martha’s faith and how is that a helpful lesson for us today?
Jesus had to disappoint Mary and Martha’s expectations so that He could exceed Mary and Martha’s expectations. How have you seen this in your own life, and what did you learn through it?

How can we encourage someone going through a gap in their life right now?

We said the problem with bad habits is that they are automatic. What bad things do you find yourself automatically doing?

How did this bad habit begin? When did it begin?

The first part of understanding a habit is that there is always a cue. What do you think the cue might be for your bad habit loop to begin?

The second part of a habit is the actual action, known as the routine. What is your bad routine?

Finally, there is the reward, the pay off. What reward do you get from your bad habit?

We looked at the extreme bad habit Saul was in, read Acts 8:1-3, and Acts 9:1-2. What was Saul’s cue? What was his routine? What was his reward?

Saul is confronted by Jesus and radically changed, in fact his name is changed to Paul, and he became the greatest evangelist for the Gospel in the history of the world. Read Acts 17:1-4. What do we now learn about Paul’s habit loop?

How is this helpful for our bad habits, what is the principle?

How have you seen the truth of this play out in your life?

Read what Paul goes on to write in Romans 13:14. This is another principle for tweaking a bad habit, avoid the cue in the first place. How could you practically do this in your life?

Read 1 Corinthians 15:33. How have you seen this play out with your bad habits? What should you do?

At the center of every habit loop is a craving. We said that ultimately all problems come down to worship problems. What does that mean?